On October 24, following a three-day trial in Brunswick, GA, seven Catholic Workers who acted to disarm a nuclear submarine base were convicted on three felony counts and one misdemeanor. The defendants face 20 years in prison, yet they emerged from their trial seeming quite ready for next steps in their ongoing witness. Steve Kelly, a Jesuit priest who has already spent ten years in prison for protesting nuclear weapons, returned, in shackles, to the local jail. Because of an outstanding warrant, Steve has been locked up for over eighteen months, since the day of the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 عمل.
ان ڏينهن تي، اپريل 4، 2018، گروپ داخل ڪيو هو يو ايس نيوي سب ميرين بيس، جيڪو ٽريڊنٽ ايٽمي ميزائل فليٽ لاء هڪ گهر بندرگاهه آهي. انهن مان فقط هڪ ايٽمي ميزائل، جيڪڏهن لانچ ڪيو ويو، ته هيروشيما تي اڇلايل ايٽمي بم کان 1,825 ڀيرا وڌيڪ نقصان ٿيندو. Plowshares ڪارڪنن جو مقصد غير قانوني ۽ غير اخلاقي هٿيارن کي بي نقاب ڪرڻ جو مقصد آهي جيڪو زمين تي سڀني زندگين کي خطرو آهي.
They had spent two years in prayerful preparation for their action. Two of them, Mark Colville and Liz McAlister, spent most of the months before their trial began in the Glynn County jail. Three others, Martha Hennessy, Carmen Trotta and Clare Grady wore “ankle monitors” and were subject to strict curfews for many months while they engaged in outreach and prepared for trial. Because federal law requires 60 – 90 days before sentencing, to allow for background checks, the seven probably won’t be sentenced before late December.
My colleague Brian Terrell, who attended all of the trial, described the chief prosecutor as a bully. In a series of accusations, this prosecutor claimed that ڪليئر گريڊي and her co-defendants believed themselves to be “a law unto themselves.” Clare calmly pointed out that “the egregious use of weapons is bullying, not the painted peace messages.”
Emerging from the courthouse, the defendants and their lawyers earnestly thanked the numerous supporters who had filled the courtroom, the overflow court room and the sidewalks outside the court. Bill Quigley, the main lawyer for the defense, thanked the defendants for their efforts to save “all of our lives,” noting the jury was not allowed to hear about weapons with enough power to destroy life on earth as we know it. Liz Mc Alister, who with Phil Berrigan had helped found the Plowshares movement, turned 79 years old while in jail. She thanked supporters but also urged people to be active in opposing nuclear weapons and the abuses of the U.S. prison system.
When I learned of the jury’s verdict, I had just signed a post card to Steve Kelly. The Glynn County jail only allows correspondence crammed into one side of a pre-stamped 3 x 5 post card. In tiny cursive, I told him about events in Kashmir where the Muslim majority has engaged in 80 days of civil resistance to the Indian government’s abrogation of two articles of the Indian constitution which allowed Kashmiris a measure of autonomy. India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed states, have twice gone to war over control of Kashmir. It’s a deeply disconcerting flashpoint representing the possibility of nuclear armed states triggering an exchange of bombs which could cause a nuclear winter, mass starvation and widespread, long-lasting environmental destruction.
ڪجهه سال اڳ، اسٽيو ۽ مون پاڪستان ۾ انساني حقن جي وڪيلن جي دوري لاءِ هڪ وفد ۾ شرڪت ڪئي هئي، ۽ مون کي ياد آهي ته اسٽيو کي ان ڳالهه تي حيرت ٿي هئي ته هندستان ۽ پاڪستان جي وچ ۾ تڪرار جي نتيجي ۾ ظاهر ٿيندڙ ايٽمي خطري کي سمجهي ويو هو. اڃان تائين هن ۽ سندس ساٿين واضح طور تي زور ڀريو آهي ته آمريڪا جو ايٽمي هٿيارن جو قبضو اڳ ۾ ئي غريب ماڻهن کي خوراڪ، پناهه ۽ رهائش لاءِ گهربل وسيلن جي ڌرتي تي ڦري ٿو.
After learning the verdict I wrote a second card, telling Steve that we who love him long for his release, but know we must also be guided by his choice to remain silent in the court. Steve believes the U.S. nuclear weapon arsenal should be tried in the court of public opinion. He says the U.S. legal system protects those who maintain and build the criminal, deadly arsenal of nuclear weapons. Inside the court, people didn’t hear Steve’s strong, clear voice. His friends can’t help but imagine the sound of shackles hitting the floor of the Glynn County jail, followed by heavy doors clanging as Steve and other prisoners are ordered into their cells
1897ع ۾ انگلينڊ جي ريڊنگ گاول مان آسڪر وائلڊ هڪ خط لکيو، جنهن جو عنوان هو ”ڊي پروفنڊس“. هو ٻن سالن جي سزا جا آخري چار مهينا سخت محنت ڪري رهيو هو. هن جي مکيه جيلن مان هڪ کي پڪ هئي ته هو سخت حالتن ۾ ڪڏهن به نه بچندو. وائلڊ پاڻ کي جيل جي وقت ۾ تبديل ڪيو، ۽ هن کي انساني مصيبتن جي وڏي ڄاڻ پيدا ڪئي. "جتي غم آهي،" وائلڊ لکيو، "اتي پاڪ زمين آهي."
The U.S. nuclear weapon arsenal creates anguish, fear and futility worldwide. Yet “holy ground” exists as activists work toward abolition of nuclear weapons.
ڪاٺ ڪيلي ([ايميل محفوظ ٿيل]) تخليقي غير عدم تشدد لاء آوازون همٿيون (www.vcnv.org)
ZNetwork صرف پنهنجي پڙهندڙن جي سخاوت جي ذريعي فنڊ آهي.
موڪليندڙ
1 تبصرو
Curious – what was the jury vote on verdct? How many for how many against?